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Posted

With Gas prices being so high, I did some reading on the subject of ways to increase MPG, most of the items were common sense items such as tire pressure and alignment but the one that caught my eye is the decrease in MPG as speed increases. This weekend I took a road trip, one that I take every other weekend, 1500 miles round trip. I normally drive 80MPH on the interstate and get 17-18 MPG, this weekend I drove 74 MPH and got 20-21 MPG, quite a savings. This was not a fluke, I checked the mileage on 4 tanks of gas.

 

My truck is a 2003 Sierra 4X4 Regular cab Short Bed with the 4.3L V6 and 3:73 gears. I run LT265/75R/16 Buckshot Mudders. I have the automatic Trans. I also have been running Synthetic oil for about the last 40K miles, my truck now has 97K miles on it.

 

Just thought I would pass this along.

 

I have gotten as high as 26MPG when driving at 55 MPH but I can't stand too much of that.

Posted

This is great solid information. another tip for around town driving is to drive your truck looking as far ahead as you can. If the next light two blocks ahead just turned red, get off the gas and coast. I have had several vehicles with gas mileage computers and this COAST phase can increase mileage overall by over 30%.

 

Firm acceleration is not a real big gas consumer as long as you start cruise speed somewhere around the limit. Coasting is magic and is not practiced by many people. Most of us go right from the gas to the brake, there needs to be a COAST phase.

 

The "magic" to hybrids is mainly in regenerative braking. The braking energy is put back into the battery. You can do this with a 6 liter Silvy by practicing the coast maneuver.

 

I get just under 18 mpg with my 5.3 in high altitude, hilly, mixed driving. By the way, I still eat the occasional Ford or riceburner (when I think I can win) and love the smell of tire smoke. :mad:

 

Ken

Posted
... I normally drive 80MPH on the interstate and get 17-18 MPG, this weekend I drove 74 MPH and got 20-21 MPG, quite a savings. This was not a fluke, I checked the mileage on 4 tanks of gas.

 

 

 

 

That is one of the most effective ways to increase fuel economy, as you saw firsthand. If everyone did this, it would make a gigantic impact to reducing the amount of gas consumed and would definitely contribute to helping lower gas prices, in theory anyway.

 

I've noticed alot of the truckers (18 wheelers) I see on the highway are now travelling at, or just over, any posted speed limit, so they definitely seem conscious of the effort and effect it hopefully will have. However, most private vehicles do not. I keep my speed between 65 & 70mph on the highway, and I get passed by ~80-90% of other vehicles. If all people would just make a concentrated effort, it would have to make some type of impact on fuel pricing, but it has to be done by the majority for it to work.

Posted

I've noticed, and this may be coincidence, that my milage seems to change radically when changing my cruise rpm from 1950 to 2050 (I think it is only about 4 mph) but it is almost like there is a change in the fuel map/spark curve at this point. Anybody else notice this? (This is on both my 2002 LeSabre with 3800 and the girl friend's '04 Z-71)

Posted
You get the best mpg at around 2000 to 2100 rpm which is where the HP/ Torque curves come together

 

 

 

 

That's how I do it. Keep it around 2000 and I make decent MPG. :mad:

Posted

technique makes a huge difference. you don't have to drive like an old lady either. speeds a bit slower and the coasting technique in town make a huge difference, 30+ percent.

 

Ken

Posted

I have found that i get signifigant increases when i set the cruise control...this allows the vehicle to be consistent with its speed and it will only add gas when it need sit and it will be much more consistent than your foot....gets me 20-21 on highway doing 70

Posted
I've noticed, and this may be coincidence, that my milage seems to change radically when changing my cruise rpm from 1950 to 2050 (I think it is only about 4 mph) but it is almost like there is a change in the fuel map/spark curve at this point.  Anybody else notice this?  (This is on both my 2002 LeSabre with 3800 and the girl friend's '04 Z-71)

 

 

 

 

 

I have heard some people mention something like this and would like to know if it's a fact. I too have noticed that over 2000 - 2500 RPMs that there seems to be a switch from economy mode to power.

 

Anyone know for sure?

Posted
...The "magic" to hybrids is mainly in regenerative braking.  The braking energy is put back into the battery.  You can do this with a 6 liter Silvy by practicing the coast maneuver....

 

 

 

And the way this works is:

1. If you plan your coasting right, you don't do much braking.

2. If you don't do much braking, you wouldn't be regenerating much power, and your hybrid battery wouldn't get much of a charge.

3. With a puny charge, the electric motor in your hybrid isn't going to contribute much to your driving.

4. Therefore the engine will have to do most of the work. So you get only a slight mpg improvement from that puny charge in your battery.

 

What this means is, even if GM made a 6.0L hybrid truck, you could do almost as well mpg-wise by just driving intelligently. That's why the shine's off the hybrids--they're not selling as well as they were. Factoring in the extra weight due to the batteries, and the extra cost, they might not actually make economic sense (with current gas prices).

Posted

I've gone from 46.7mpg to 51.8mpg just by reducing my speed from 65mph to 55mph on my way to work. I get passed by everyone but when you consider I can go 700 miles on a 14 gallon tank it is worth it. That lasts me two weeks. Now when someone really tailgates me for some reason, I just nail it and watch them disappear in the black cloud of diesel smoke. Got to love the jetta.

As for my Silverado there I get 19mpg running 75mph, probably could get better if I reduce the speed on it as well, just never tried since I run the jetta mostly. When I do run the truck it is because I got to haul something and then gas mileage isn't an issue.

Posted

With my 4.8 3.73 rear end 2wd I set the cruise to 1900 rpm and go about 65 mph. That returns signifigantly better mpg then 2100+ Also, give or take a little, after 45 mph you start to spend more energy on fighting the air resistance than moving the weight of your car down the road. These (pickup trucks in general) aren't aerodynamic and have the worst possible weight arrangement for handling(all weight over front end, nothing over the rear axle). I just don't think the things are designed to roll along at 80, they seem a lot more comfortable at 60 - 65.

Posted

All of this is great advice, I have really been watching my driving habits lately.

 

Now come on GM and put me a V6 Diesel in a 1/2 ton and I will be set, maybe get in the 30MPG range and still tow 10K lbs. (baby Duramax)

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